Car-fender.



No. 820,607. PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

F, A. SHELBY.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 8. 1905.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'r'atented May 15, 1906.

A li ati fil d December 8,1905. Serial No. 290,866.

T0 at whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, FRANK A. SEELEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in fenders or guards for traction-cars operated on streets and roads, and is designed to produce a fender that will yield and move backward and downward on impact with the person or other object in the path of the car, thereby cushioning the blow received by the same and bringing the fender in position to receive and carry the person until the car comes to a stop and, moreover, that will remain in a horizontal position as it moves backward or downward or in a plane parallel to the street, whereby the person is more readily and safely taken up by the fender, and the invention further relates to a novel construction of movable guard at theend of the fender in which the guard is turned upward by the downward movement of the fender, whereby the person is thrown or pushed back on the latter and the invention consists in the construction and combinations set forth in the claims herein.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my improvement, Figure 1 is a side view of the end of a car with the fender in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan view. of the fender. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the line a a, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side View of the fender when pushed backward and downward. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are details.

The drawings show the fender placed under the car in front of the wheels; but, if desired, it may be connected to the front end of the car and project out beyond the same.

In the fenders heretofore used on cars only the forward or front end of the fender is turned or pressed downward toward the pavement by the force of the impact against the person, while the rear or back of the fender remains in its normal raised position. The fender thus assumes an inclined position, sloping downward toward the pavement, resulting in a constant tendency of the person to slide or roll off. Moreover, as the front of the fender is pressed down it is very apt to catch and hold any part of the garment of the person that may pass under it or any portion of the person himself, thereby pinning the person down and holding him from being received and carried on the fender. In this improvement the entire lower portion of the fender is brought down toward the pavement, forming a level horizontal platform on which the person is safely received and carried.

In the particular construction shown, 1 1 are the lower swinging side frames of the fender connected by the cross-rods 13 and 14 and the front guard 6.

' 2 2 are the 11 per side frames by which the fender is attac ed to the car-truck 7.

3 and 4 are parallel links on each side of the fender, su porting the lower frames and the bottom of the fender, which is thus hung from the upper frames and the car-truck in such manner as to swin back, and consequently down, when the llnks are brought to a vertical position. As will be seen from Figs. 5 and. 6, the lower ends 10 of the front links 4 on the inside of the frames 1 1 are eX- .tended and curved backward, forming the short arms of rock-shafts to which the pitman 8, connected to the guard 6, is attached, as described farther on. The length of the links 3 and 4 should be such that when the links are vertical and the fender is in its downward position (shown in Fig. 4) the bottom of the fender will be close to the pavement. In its normal position when not brought into action by the impact with anything 1n front of it the fender is held up away from the pavement by the springs 11, attached to the bar 13, and the front end of the frames 2 2, On the bottom of the fender between the lower frames 1 1 is the netting 5, formed of wire or other suitable material. The front edge of this netting is attached to the back 15 of the guard 6 and the rear edge to the upper frames 2 2 at 16, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The netting is bent or hinged to conform to the shape of the fender and furnish a basket or platform on which the person can lie.

As will be understood from the drawings, while the fender is held up and forward by the springs 11 in the positlon shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it will strike any object lying in its path, and the force of the impact will cause it to move backward, when by reason of the parallel swinging links 3 and 4 the bottom of the fender will move down horizontally in a carried.

On the front end of the fender is a movable swinging guard 6, turning on trunnions 9 on the outer end of the frames 1 1. This guard is preferably made of wood and has a rubber cushion on its outer face. T o the back of the guard at each end are connected the pitmen 8 on the inside of the frames 1 1, the other. ends of which are pivoted to the curved arms 10 of the links 1. As will be evident from Figs. 5 and 6, as the links swing backward -when the fender is forced back and down the curved arms 10 draw the pitmen 8 back, and thereby swing the guard 6 so that its outer or lower edge is turned up in line with the fender, thus causing the guard to lift and throw the obstructing person back on the fender. The guard is thus turned by the direct movement of the fender itself, and its operation is positive and sure, as the fender moves with the impact of the person. Thispositive move-v ment of the guard further frees the pressure of the latter on any portion of the garment of the person or part of the person himself that may be under it, thereby permitting the person to be received by the fender and carried on the same in safety. In addition to the turning or swinging of the guard by the movement of the fender its front or outer end is further raised by the pull of the netting, due to the weight of the person on the latter. The guard is thus turned in the position shown in Figs. land 5 and prevents the person rolling or sliding off the fender.

In the curved end 10 of the link 4 is a channel 12, within which is a rubber cushion resting against the pin connecting the pitman and end 10 of the link. As the guard 6 strikes the person this rubber cushion yields and cushions the blow on the latter.

The operation of the fender will be readily understood from the drawings. In its normal position before being brought into action the fender is held up and away from the pavement, with the guard turned down, as shown in Fig. 1. As soon as the fender comes in contact with the person or object in the path of the car the force of the impact with the person forces the fender down and back in a level horizontal position near the surface of the pavement, and at the same time the lower edge of the guard is tilted and turned up by the movement of the fender, thus pushing the person up on the level platform of the latter. As the person falls on the fender his weight acting on the netting 5 turns or draws the outer edge of the guard up farther, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby holding the person in safety on the fender until the car comes to a stop.

I do not wish to confine myself to the particular construction of the parts as shown, as

the construction may be varied without changing the essential features of the invention.

What I claim is- 1. A fender for cars consisting of a swinging, horizontal platform suspended from the car, having a backward and downward movement, whereby the fender throughout its whole extent is brought down near the pavement in a plane parallel with the surface of the street by impact with the person struck, substantially as set forth.

2. A fender for cars having a horizontal, downward movement from impact with the body, whereby the fender is brought down near the pavement in a planeparallel with the surface of the street; and provided with a swinging guard turned up by the downward movement of the fender substantially as described.

8. In a fender for cars, in combination, a fender suspended from the car and means for attaching the fender to the car, whereby the fender is swung back and down throughout its whole extent in a plane parallel to the surface of the street by impact with the person struck, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fender for cars, in combination, a

fender connected to the car; mechanism for attaching the fender to the car, whereby the fender is moved horizontally downin a plane parallel to the surface of the street; a swing-- ing guard on the end of the fender, and means connecting the fender and guard whereby the latter is turned up by the down ward movement of the fender, substantially as described.

5. In a fender for cars, in cornbination, a fender moved down by impact with the person struck, a swinging guard at the end of the fender,and means connecting the fender and guard whereby the latter is turned up bythe downward movement of the fender, substantially as described.

6. In a fender for cars, in combination, a

fender suspended from the car means for attaching the fender to the car, whereby the fender is swung back and down throughout its whole extent in a plane parallel to the surface of the street; and other yielding means by which the fender is held in a'raised position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a fender for cars, in combination, the fender 1 suspended from the car; parallel links 3 and 4 by which the fender is attached to the car and springs 1 1 by which the fender is held in a raised position, whereby the fender is swung back and down in a plane parallel to the surface of the street, substantially as and for purpose set forth.

8. In a fender for cars, in combination, the fender 1 sus ended from the car; parallel links 3 and 4 y which the fender is attached.

to the ear; springs 11 by which the fender is the fender, substantially as and for the purheld in a raised position, whereby the fender poses set forth.

is sWun back and down in a plane parallel to the surace 0f the street; swinging guard 6 1 FRANK SEELEY' on the end of the fender; and means eonnect- Witnesses:

ing the fender and guard whereby the guard IRA JAY DUTTON,

is turned up by the downward'movement of J. E. MOLEAN. 

